American Sign Language performers gained public attention after fans witnessed Grammy award-winner Chance the Rapper use an ASL performer during his 2017 tour at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago last year, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Locally, all-female band The Storyweavers has been entertaining crowds and gaining regional attention with its own member, Jennifer McLaughlin, who is a deaf ASL performance artist.

McLaughlin has been performing since 2000. She would sign to music at weddings and perform karaoke, according to her wife and fellow band member, Beth Whyle. The duo have been married since 2016 and have been together for 14 years.

Band member Sheela Fortner recalled seeing McLaughlin perform karaoke in 2002. Fortner said it was then she knew she wanted McLaughlin to join the band she was previously performing with prior to forming The Storyweavers.

“It’s very inspiring for me,” McLaughlin said through her interpreter, Annie James. “I love that deaf people get involved and have someone in the community for them to enjoy. It’s wonderful. It means so much.”

The Storyweavers are fairly new to the Hampton Roads music scene. The four women have been performing together under that name for almost two years and recently were nominated in the Americana category of the seventh annual Veer Music Awards.

A 2016 study by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reported 37.5 million adults age 18 and older have trouble hearing. The same study reported nearly three of every 1,000 children in the country are born with detectable hearing loss.

According to Fortner, typically half of their audience is deaf. She said she thinks the audience likes watching someone with whom they can relate. Whyle can understand ASL and sign. Fortner and guitarist Linda Poole can spell in sign language and communicate through McLaughlin’s interpreter.

“(McLaughlin) brings an element to us that brings (the music) full circle,” Fortner said. “We love when the deaf community comes out to listen to us and watch Jen.”

All of the music performed by The Storyweavers is original, and Fortner said it is inspired by their life stories. During performances, the women like to share those stories.

“It’s a beautiful blend of music for all people,” Poole said. "We have a lot to say about the world. Our music relates to humanity and kindness.”